SCAI SmartBrief Special Report: A look back at the SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions

The SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions -- the most attended SCAI conference to date -- educated, challenged and inspired those in attendance. In this special report, we present some highlights of the research and debate that headlined the conference, as well as a look ahead from SCAI's new president, Dr. J. Jeffrey Marshall.

A robotic device from CorPath shows promise for coronary stent implantation, according to results of the 164-patient PRECISE trial presented by Dr. Giora Weisz at the SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions. The system improves accuracy and patient safety while reducing the operating physician's radiation exposure by 95% and may limit the neck and spine problems associated with standing while wearing heavy protective aprons. Success, defined as completing PCI without having to switch from robotic to manual operation, was achieved in 98.8% of cases.MedPage Today (free registration)
(5/11), TheHeart.org (Montreal) (free registration)
(5/11)

Results of the MOBILITY trial support stenting over surgery in aorto-iliac disease, according to research presented by Dr. Michael Jaff of Massachusetts General Hospital. The nine-month major adverse event rates were well below the study's goal of 19.5%. Major adverse events occurred in 6.1% of patients who received a self-expanding stent and 5.4% of those who got a balloon expandable stent. Jaff called evaluation of secondary endpoints including quality of life metrics such as walking capacity "impressive." The use of the two stents in the study was off-label, but the results will be used to seek FDA approval for this use.MedPage Today (free registration)
(5/11), CardiovascularBusiness.com
(5/11)

Ixmyelocel-T, an experimental therapy derived from autologous bone marrow, is safe and effective in treating dilated cardiomyopathy, according to research presented by Dr. Timothy Henry at the SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions. The multi-cell product, injected into the heart muscle, was not associated with additional complications or adverse events and was linked to improved clinical outcomes. Henry said the results warrant further investigation in larger trials.U.S. News & World Report/HealthDay News
(5/10), TheHeart.org (Montreal) (free registration)
(5/11)

In a provocative lecture ahead of the SCAI 2012 town hall meeting, Dr. Ralph Brindis called for interventionalists to engage in self-reflection as efforts to cut health care costs increasingly put physicians' decisions in the spotlight. He said most people go into medicine with the right priorities -- patient values, resource stewardship and evidence-based practices -- but priorities may shift over time. He urges interventionalists to re-examine how they practice and embrace opportunities to improve care. "As professionals, we are the ones best suited to evaluate our practices and determine what is appropriate clinical care and what is not," Brindis said. "We cannot afford to abdicate our responsibility or withdraw our considerable expertise in shaping this science ... because of our professional responsibility, our commitment to quality, and because we can do it better than anyone else."

SCAI's efforts to improve quality in the spotlightAppropriate-use criteria released by SCAI and the American College of Cardiology Foundation ahead of the SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions are part of continued efforts to improve quality of care. "Cardiologists have been particularly interested in trying to improve our practice, and this gives us a quality tool," said Dr. Steven Bailey, who helped develop the AUC, which address 166 situations in which a physician might consider diagnostic catheterization. Also part of SCAI's effort to improve quality and performance of interventional cardiology programs is the Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence program, discussed at the conference by Dr. Bonnie Weiner, former president of SCAI. Weiner discussed findings from ACE's early cath lab reviews. TheHeart.org (Montreal) (free registration)
(5/13)

SCAI WIN program helps screen women for heart risksGynecologists could play a key role in saving women's lives by screening them for cardiovascular disease risk factors, according to Dr. Sudhir Mungee of the University of Illinois College of Medicine. Presenting at the SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions, Mungee discussed the results of a pilot program supported by the SCAI Women in Innovations program. The research identified three or more risk factors, many of which had been previously unknown, among 13% of women who filled out a one-page questionnaire during a visit to a gynecologist. For one-fifth of the women, their only primary care doctor was their gynecologist. MedPage Today (free registration)
(5/12)

Interventionalists debate RIVAL, PCI access siteIn a debate at the SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions, interventionalists discussed transradial-access PCI vs. the transfemoral approach. Dr. Tift Mann cited fewer complications, lower costs and patient preference among the arguments for radial access. Dr. David Cox, arguing against the "zealotry" of pro-radial operators, said no single approach will be appropriate for all patients. "We are all interventionalists, and we all need to be skilled in both femoral and radial approaches and do the right one for any given patient," Cox said. Closing the session, Dr. Sunil Rao called for a trial evaluating costs and outcomes. TheHeart.org (Montreal) (free registration)
(5/10)

Dr. J. Jeffrey Marshall became the 35th president of SCAI. Marshall is medical director of the cath lab at Northeast Georgia Medical Center and chief of cardiology at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. As SCAI's president, Marshall plans to focus on the quality of life of cardiovascular disease patients, including the development of new tools for patients and their families as well as efforts to educate policymakers about patients' needs and expectations. "As physicians and as a Society, we need to pay as much attention to helping patients live productive lives they can enjoy as we pay to reducing mortality. Fortunately, interventional cardiologists can do both –- we save lives when patients are having a heart attack or stroke, but we also improve quality of life with treatments that alleviate symptoms and by teaching patients about heart-healthy choices that will make them feel better and, we hope, live longer."

Miss something at SCAI 2012? Get it on demand

It's impossible to attend every event at a scientific conference. Catch up on what you missed at the SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions with SCAI On Demand, which allows you to browse and purchase access to recorded sessions online on your own time.

Acknowledgments for supportSCAI acknowledges the following for support of the conference:

SCAI also appreciates the educational grant support provided by Atrium Medical Corporation - a MAQUET Getinge Group company, Gilead Sciences and MEDRAD.

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